


we've been here before

by ravens_tell_stories



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel Deserves Nice Things (Supernatural), Dean Winchester Deserves Nice Things, Dean Winchester Says "I Love You", F L U F F, First Kiss, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Season/Series 15, anyways yeah just a LOT of fluff, i gave myself a cavity writing this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:01:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27117880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravens_tell_stories/pseuds/ravens_tell_stories
Summary: “Remember… remember when you told me that in all of this - this whole mess - we can always be certain that we are real?”“I do.”“I… I didn’t really get what you meant, back then. I mean, I understood the words, but I wasn’t really sure I agreed with you.”A tilt of his head, reminiscent of the old days, brings Cas’ face a hair closer to Dean’s. “And now?” he asks.Dean nods, fidgeting in his seat at the intense stare from his angel. “I think I get it, now. You and me… we aren’t going anywhere, right?”~~~after everything is over, they talk
Relationships: Dean Winchester/Castiel
Comments: 12
Kudos: 124





	we've been here before

**Author's Note:**

> (they found pictures in the snow)
> 
> thank you to my lovely friend and beta Pi, without whom this quite literally wouldn't exist, since they starred in the dream that started the whole idea. you're the bestest :D <33
> 
> yes, you read that right, this is based off a dream I had. I've reached the level of obsession that i'm dreaming about these two idiots. sue me, okay? they're really cute
> 
> anyways, i hope you enjoy!! comments and kudos are, as always, appreciated, and thanks for checking this out!!

It’s warm.

That’s an odd thing for Dean to be fixated on, but he can’t get over it.

Besides, he’s just defeated  _ God _ , dammit. He’s earned the right to be fixated on odd things.

There’s a rustle of wings, and he turns to where Cas has appeared on the picnic bench next to him. His face is turned up towards the sun, a large grin spread wide over his lips. He’s ditched the trenchcoat, dressed instead in a pair of sweatpants and one of Dean’s old band tees.

Dean chuckles lowly.

“You comfortable there, Cas?” he says, smiling softly.

Cas ducks his head sheepishly, but his smile doesn’t fade. “I am,” he answers.

They sit silently for a moment, just watching people stroll leisurely past. A small child falls and scrapes his knee, a couple of teenagers hold hands and blush, a young woman pushes a stroller along in front of her.

“All of these people…” Cas starts, something like awe tinting his voice. “They’re here because of  _ you _ .”

A blush spreads across Dean’s face. “Nah,” he deflects, waving dismissively. “I barely did anything.”

“That’s not true,” Cas says sincerely. “Jack may have taken the brunt of the responsibility, but your part was just as important.” He pauses, lets a soft sigh escape him. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet and tender. “You were just as important.”

It’s an echo of what he’d said weeks ago, when he told Dean about his deal with the Empty, and they both know it.

“I fought for the whole world, right?” his voice is laced with stale bitterness. He’s not really upset about that, after all. Not anymore. He gets it - everyone knows he’d have done the same thing for Sam.

It still hurts, though.

“Dean--”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” he sounds hurt, broken, and he knows it and he  _ hates _ it, but he can’t change it. He  _ is  _ those things.“We coulda helped, we coulda--” his voice wavers. He takes a breath, clears his throat. “I almost lost you, Cas. Again. You think I could’ve dealt with that?”

Cas looks down. “I’m sorry, Dean. I didn’t want to burden you. There was nothing to be done, and you would have just wasted time attempting to help me instead of focusing on Michael.”

Dean scoffs, pushing back the emotions welling up in his throat. “You aren’t a  _ burden _ , Cas. You’re family. You-- you’re more than family, to me. And I know we saved you, I know you’re okay, but I just… I can’t lose you again, Cas, I can’t.”

He ducks his head, avoiding the gaze he can feel boring into the side of his head.  _ In for a penny, and all that, _ he thinks, scuffing one foot in the dirt under him. He glances up at Cas, letting his lashes flutter slightly when their gazes lock.

“You mean too much to me.”

There’s a tense silence, one he aches to fill, but he has to let this sit. No more of this  _ all of us _ bullshit - this moment, right now, is about them and only them.

“I pulled you out of hell,” Cas begins, his voice neutral. Dean winces, curling into himself a bit as he prepares for the sting of rejection. “Rebelled against everything I’d ever known. I fell from heaven, Dean, more than once.” He chuckles once, like there’s a joke only he understands. “And I did it, all of it… for you.”

Somewhere down the street, a child laughs. Birds chirp in the trees around them. Flowers wave gently in the breeze.

Amidst it all, Dean’s heart stops for an instant.

“Cas, are you--”

“I’ve never understood why you don’t just use your words, Dean. I think it would make things a lot easier,” there’s just a hint of a smirk playing at the edge of his lips when Dean turns in his seat to face him.

A small smile spreads across his face. “You cheeky son of a bitch,” he murmurs affectionately, leaning in just a bit closer than he’d ever dared before. He rests one arm on the picnic table in front of Cas, the other hovering around his angel’s side, unsure whether or not to touch.

Cas smiles back, reaching out to twine their fingers together as he leans in, too.

Dean’s breath hitches, his mind really comprehending for the first time that this is  _ real _ .

He swallows. “Remember… remember when you told me that in all of this - this whole mess - we can always be certain that we are real?”

“I do.”

“I… I didn’t really get what you meant, back then. I mean, I understood the words, but I wasn’t really sure I agreed with you.”

A tilt of his head, reminiscent of the old days, brings Cas’ face a hair closer to Dean’s. “And now?” he asks.

Dean nods, fidgeting in his seat at the intense stare from his angel. “I think I get it, now. You and me… we aren’t going anywhere, right?” there’s a low tone of uncertainty in his voice, as much as he tries to mask it.

Their eyes lock - one pair the color of spring and summer and life and living, the other just as vibrant but shining as if they hold the elements only found in shooting stars locked inside their depths.

“I have no desire to ever leave your side, Dean,” Cas says, only a bit softer than the way he normally speaks. “If you’ll have me, I will gladly be yours for as long as you wish.”

There must be some sort of pollen in the air - maybe some stray cats walking around - because Dean’s eyes start to feel more watery than they probably should. He clears his throat and dashes the back of one hand across his face, ignoring both the swelling in his throat and the soft look in Cas’ eyes.

He breathes in deeply, scooting a few inches closer on the bench and leaning in until he’s just a few centimeters from brushing his and Cas’ nose together and he can hear his angel’s breathing begin to stutter.

“You’d better plan on sticking around for a while, then,” he whispers, curling one hand into the front of Cas’ shirt. “Since I don’t see myself getting tired of you anytime soon.”

The last thing he sees before he lets his eyes flutter shut is a small smile twisting Cas’ lips up at the corners.

An instant later their lips are finally pressing together. Dean pulls Cas in closer immediately, sliding his hand around to rest lightly at the small of Cas’ back.

It’s chaste, at first, and gentle. His lips, chapped as though they may appear, are warm and soft, sliding with a very slight drag across Dean’s own. After a moment, Dean sighs into it, letting his mouth fall open and relaxing into Cas.

Cas responds eagerly, tilting his head and winding his arms around Dean’s waist.

They pull apart slowly, not wanting to let go but all too conscious of the people walking past through the park.

“So,” Dean starts, grinning. “That was pretty cool.” He reaches one hand up to brush his fingertips across Cas’ cheek, reveling in the fact that he  _ can _ .

“Indeed, Dean,” Cas rolls his eyes, exasperated, but he leans into the touch with a soft smile.

They don’t say anything more for several long, wandering moments, just sitting and drinking in the sight of one another, occasionally trading soft kisses.

Eventually, though, they know they should be heading home. They may have saved the world countless times over, but Sam would still worry if they weren’t home in time for dinner.

It’s another couple minutes before they stand to leave, hesitantly lacing their fingers together for the walk back to the Impala.

Dean turns to comment on the state of the other cars in the parking lot, a cocky grin already spreading over his face, but breath catches at the sight Cas makes, silhouetted against the glints of sunset he can see through the trees.

His hair is lit with rose-gold light, swaying lightly in the breeze, and when he turns just right the light catches on his eyes and turns them into glittering gems.

Before he knows what he’s doing, Dean’s leaning in to press a kiss against Cas’ cheek and whispering into his stubble, “I love you.”

When he pulls away, face burning, he glances up to see Cas beaming so brightly it rivals the sun behind him.

“I love you too,” he says, pulling Dean close to kiss him once more. “I always have.”

When they return to the bunker that night, it’s with their fingers interlocked and even less space than usual between them. Sam’s eyebrows shoot up, seemingly shocked, but there’s a grin on his face when he claps both men on the back.

“Took you fucking long enough,” he mumbles as they wander out of the room.


End file.
